In collaboration with Yun Wang (NIDA and NHRI, Taiwan) we used a genetically encoded calcium sensor to study the effects of methamphetamine on intracellular calcium in neurons. Through this work, it was established that direct application of methamphetamine to cortical neurons causes a rapid and transient change in intracellular calcium via L-type calcium channels and intracellular calcium stores accessed by the RyR. The work was published in Addiction Biology. In collaboration Yavin Shaham (NIDA) and Bryan Roth (UNC) we produce an AAV vector to express the KORD DREADD to study brain circuits involved in motivated behavior in rats. The study demonstrated the used of a 'retro-DREADD' dual-virus approach to restrict expression of KORD in ventral subiculum neurons that project to nucleus accumbens shell. The results indicated that the novel KORD is a promising tool to selectively inactivate brain areas and neural circuits in rat studies of motivated behavior. This work was published in Neuropsychopharmacology . In collaboration with William Freed (NIDA) we developed lentiviral vectors to study the effects of WNT3/WNT9B signaling on the differentiation of human PSCs into dopaminergic neurons. This work was published in Cell Reports. In collaboration with Antonello Bonci (NIDA) we developed an AAV vector for optogenetic control in only non-Cre expressing cells in a Cre driver mouse. Dr. Boncis lab used this vector to activate non-serotonergic neurons in the Raphe nucleus of mice to better understand the role of serotonergic vs non-serotonergic neurons of the DRN in reward circuitry. This work was published in Cell Reports. In collaboration with Dr. Henriksson (NIDA) we assisted a cell culture model that enabled studies of the interaction or REST and prodynorphin. The results suggest that REST represses PDYN expression in human SH-SY5Y cells and the adult human brain and may have implications for mental health and brain/mental disorders. This work was published in Biochim Biophys Acta.